'Wrath Of Allah To Blame...': Farooq Abdullah On Crisis In J&K Apple Industry
The "wrath of Allah" is to blame for the transportation crisis affecting Jammu and Kashmir's apple industry, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said Wednesday.
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Srinagar:
National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah attributed the transportation crisis affecting Jammu and Kashmir's apple industry to the "wrath of Allah" on Wednesday. "This is happening because we don't perform namaaz. Such challenges are meant to awaken us and redirect us toward Allah."
When questioned about the Srinagar-Jammu highway closure for the past three weeks - caused by a 60-meter cave-in at Udhampur that has stranded thousands of apple-laden trucks - the former Chief Minister dismissed allegations of 'sabotage' and rejected criticism directed at his party's government.
He charged critics of the NC administration, headed by his son Omar Abdullah, with 'politicizing the struggles of J&K residents.' Making an indirect reference to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the federal representative in Kashmir, he stated, "Certain individuals' livelihoods depend on this politics."
#WATCH | Anantnag, J&K | On National Highway closure affecting apple crop and Opposition blaming J&K administration, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah says, "...Politics will never stop in Kashmir. Some people's houses run on this politics. They receive money from Delhi… pic.twitter.com/I85xJqoHBV
— ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2025
"They receive financial support from Delhi and manage to survive on it. Did people damage the mountains or cause rainfall? It was Allah's wrath because we've distanced ourselves from Him."
In recent days, over a thousand trucks carrying tons of fresh apples from Kashmir - a region renowned for its rosy red fruit - have been stranded due to highway damage.
Kashmir produces approximately 80 percent of India's total apple output.
Worried farmers, for whom the annual harvest often represents their yearly income, have urged the government to fix the road. However, repairs have progressed slowly, and NDTV reported this week that boxes of apples are now rotting inside the stranded trucks.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah requested Union Roadways Minister Nitin Gadkari's intervention. Mr. Gadkari promised 'concrete steps' would be implemented within 24 hours to resolve the issue.
The Border Roads Organisation has been working to either restore the collapsed section or construct a viable alternative. Currently, apples are being transported via trains, with boxes being routed to nearby railway stations, loaded onto freight trains, and shipped to markets.
This morning, produce from an additional 1,200 trucks was transported out. Railways officials report that approximately 2,000 tons of apples, equivalent to nearly 126,000 boxes, have been moved so far.
Financial losses from this crisis have already reached crores of rupees.
Meanwhile, the ongoing highway blockage has negatively impacted daily life in the Valley, with petroleum products, including diesel and LPG, becoming scarce.
Petrol stations have begun running dry, and LPG dealers have warned customers about impending shortages. Additionally, poultry products like chicken and eggs are being sold at inflated prices, while vegetable costs increase dramatically each day.
With input from agencies
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